Darangen is a Maranao epic poem from the Lake Lanao region of Mindanao, Philippines. It consists of 17 cycles with 72,000 lines in iambic tetrameter or catalectic trochaic tetrameter.[1] Each cycle pertains to a different self-contained story. The most notable of which deals with the exploits of the hero Bantugan.[2][3]
Darangan Epic Full Story English Version
Darangen is meant to be narrated by singing or chanting. Select parts of it are performed by male and female singers during weddings and celebrations (traditionally at night time), usually accompanied by music from kulintang gong ensembles, Tambor drums, and kudyapi stringed instruments. It is also traditionally accompanied by several dances, each interpreting specific episodes of the epic. Depending on the part being performed, the performance can last a few hours to a week.[6][7] The epic also incorporates Maranao customary laws, social values, and practices prior to the Maranao conversion to Islam in the 14th century.[3]
Laubach's version, however, was incomplete. A more complete version was later compiled by modern scholars from the Folklore Division of the Mindanao State University Research Center (now the Mamitua Saber Research Center) under the sponsorship of the Toyota Foundation. They collected, transcribed, and translated various parts and versions of the Darangen from Maranao elders and from kirim (handwritten Maranao songbooks written in the Jawi alphabet) over a period of ten years. The entire epic was published from 1986 to 1988 in eight volumes, in both original Maranao and their English translations.[1][14][15][16]
The Darangen does not have a single author, but is rather a collection of tales passed down orally from generation to generation. It has 72,000 lines divided into 17 cycles (also called books or episodes) in iambic tetrameter or catalectic trochaic tetrameter. Each of the cycles can be treated as an independent story, but they are all connected sequentially. The epic is also recorded in the archaic Maranao language, which differs significantly from the modern colloquial version of Maranao.[1]
A full performance of the entire epic usually takes about a week. In modern times, however, it is more common to only perform parts of the epic, which usually lasts for a few hours. The chanting or singing is commonly accompanied by dances and musical performances using traditional Maranao instruments like kulintang gong ensembles, Tambor drums, and kudyapi stringed instruments.[1]
The Darangen originates from before the conversion of the Maranao people to Islam, and thus details the traditional pre-Islamic anito religions of the Maranao. The heroes in the epic worship and interact with various ancestor and guardian spirits (tonong) and nature spirits (diwata). An example is Batara-sa-Marudo,[note 1] a nature spirit capable of bringing down floods and storms.[2][1][16]
(Although in some versions of the story, Indarapatra meets her while searching for the monster, and not after the battle. Further, the goddess disguises herself as an old woman; never leaving Indarapatra even as he battles with the monster.)
Sinkil dance takes its name from the bells worn on the ankles of the Muslim princess. Perhaps one of the oldest of truly Filipino dances, the Singkil recounts the epic legend of the "Darangan" of the Maranao people of Mindanao. This epic, written sometime in the 14th century, tells the fateful story of Princess Gandingan, who was caught in the middle of a forest during an earthquake caused by the diwatas, or fairies or nymph of the forest.
Pagaper depicts a royal manner of "walking" among the Maranao people who live mainly around Lake Lanao. Ladies of the royal court perform this stately dance in preparation for an important event. The ladies gracefully manipulate the Aper (apir) or fan, while emphasizing their small steps, or "kini-kini", which is a sign of good upbringing.
The hudhud is estimated to have begun before the 7th century. The hudhud chant is comprised of more than 200 stories with about 40 episodes each story. Each story often takes three to four days to recite. The language of the chants is said to be almost impossible to transcribe as it is full of repetitions, synonyms, figurative terms and metaphors. The lead chanter of the hudhud, called the munhaw-e and who is often an elderly woman, recites an introductory line that will set the tone, which is continued by a chorus of women, called the mun'abbuy, until the end of the phrase. This sequence is repeated up to the end of each episode.
Comprising 17 cycles and a total of 72,000 lines, the Darangen celebrates episodes from Maranao history and the tribulations of mythical heroes. In addition to having a compelling narrative content, the epic explores the underlying themes of life and death, courtship, love and politics through symbol, metaphor, irony and satire. The Darangen also encodes customary law, standards of social and ethical behaviour, notions of aesthetic beauty, and social values specific to the Maranao. To this day, elders refer to this time-honoured text in the administration of customary law.
Radia Indarapatra is an ancestor of Bantugan, a renowned epic hero from the Maranao epic Darangen, based on the Ramayana. This story of Rajah Indarapatra, mythological hero of Magindanao, and his brother, Sulayman, is based on a myth recounted by Najeeb M. Saleeby, in one of his books on the Moros; According to him, this myth came from Datu Kali, who in turn learned it from Maharajah Layla of Magindanao and Alad, a very old and intelligent Moro.
The Indian epic is deeply embedded in the Darangen epic,
theMaha Radia Rawana story, and the Singkil dance.
The preservation of Ramayana in thePhilippines shows that Muslims, Christians,
Hindus, people of no faith, and people of all other faiths can engage
in intercultural dialogue that enhances goodwill and mutual understanding.
Through the Darangen epic, the Maharaja Lawana story and the Singkil dance, theMaranaos in the southern Philippines have not only
preserved but also syncretized Ramayana tosuit the local contexts and religion to make the Hindu story acceptable to Muslims.
The hudhud chants hail from the mountainous Cordillera region in northern Philippines, more popularly known for their world-renowned Ifugao rice terraces. Key in understanding the hudhud chants is to see its relation with and its influences on the immediate cultural landscape (Guerrero, 2013). The darangen epic, on the other hand, is a lengthy oral tradition that is artistically sung and acted (sometimes even danced[4]), rather than just being plainly recited. It recounts the history of the Maranao people around Lake Lanao, predating even the Islamization of southern Philippines in the 13th century.
From the north, we see how highland chants have directly dictated the ways of life and the modes of survival of the people in harshly mountainous, uneven terrains. The hudhud compliments the rice terraces in being enduring portraits of the ways of life of the Ifugao for over two millennium. Down south, cultural diversity and religious syncretism is recognized and established through the darangen epic. This epic breathes the history of the Maranao people, providing listeners a rich amount of knowledge about their norms, beliefs, and customs as it is rendered in a melodious performance of singing and dancing. Having both these oral literatures proclaimed as masterpieces of oral and intangible heritage of humanity only strengthens their importance and relevance not only to the Filipino people but to all around the world.
The epic poem is a long narrative poem that usually recounts stories of heroism. The protagonists of epic poems are often kings, knights, heroes, or else extraordinary people who change the fate of history.
Hikayat Seri Rama is the Malay literary adaptation of the Hindu Ramayana epic. The main story remains the same as the original Sanskrit version but some aspects of it were slightly modified to a local context such as the spelling and pronunciation of names. Numerous branch stories had also been developed as accretions to or extensions of this epic with the upgrading of minor characters to major ones, or the invention of totally new characters. For example, Malay writers and storytellers have produced variations in which Laksmana (Lakshman) plays a larger role, sometimes becoming more important than Rama the elder prince much like the Lao Phra Lak Phra Lam. Rama, although righteous and virtuous, was perceived to be weak and his character is often moved to the background while the younger Laksmana is admired for his courage and willingness to react decisively.
Stories about folk heroes of long ago were described as "Old Time History" because; they can be used to study the lifestyle and beliefs of the people who produced them. They were also referred to as "Lost", because they were soon forgotten by natives influenced heavily by Spanish and "western" colonization. The famed orientalist, Chauncey Starkweather, stressed that : "These epic romances are charming poem in the Malayan literature."
His Village prospered and soon, other friends of Handiong went to help him in leading the village.The system of writing was introduced by Surat. Dinahong Pandak taught them how to make jars, utensils in cooking, plough, harrow and other farming implements. Weaving cloth was known with the help of Hablon. Lastly, Ginantong taught them to make boats, blades, knives and things used in a house. Events in this epic also had a flood story similar to that of the Biblical Genesis. This epic has the story in how the Mayon Volcano was made.Thus ends Ibalon.
Singkil recounts the epic legend Darangan of the Maranao people of Mindanao, written in the 14th century. It tells of the story of Princess Gandingan who was teased by the diwatas or fairies in the forest who caused the earth to quake felling trees and eroding rocks. Princess Gandingan and her servant, however, nimbly avoids them and comes out unscathed. In some versions she is saved by a swashbuckling prince.
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